scholarly journals The impact of social isolation and changes in work patterns on ongoing thought during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (40) ◽  
pp. e2102565118
Author(s):  
Brontë Mckeown ◽  
Giulia L. Poerio ◽  
Will H. Strawson ◽  
Léa M. Martinon ◽  
Leigh M. Riby ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in countries across the world, changing the lives of billions of people. The United Kingdom’s first national lockdown, for example, restricted people’s ability to socialize and work. The current study examined how changes to socializing and working during this lockdown impacted ongoing thought patterns in daily life. We compared the prevalence of thought patterns between two independent real-world, experience-sampling cohorts, collected before and during lockdown. In both samples, young (18 to 35 y) and older (55+ y) participants completed experience-sampling measures five times daily for 7 d. Dimension reduction was applied to these data to identify common “patterns of thought.” Linear mixed modeling compared the prevalence of each thought pattern 1) before and during lockdown, 2) in different age groups, and 3) across different social and activity contexts. During lockdown, when people were alone, social thinking was reduced, but on the rare occasions when social interactions were possible, we observed a greater increase in social thinking than prelockdown. Furthermore, lockdown was associated with a reduction in future-directed problem solving, but this thought pattern was reinstated when individuals engaged in work. Therefore, our study suggests that the lockdown led to significant changes in ongoing thought patterns in daily life and that these changes were associated with changes to our daily routine that occurred during lockdown.

Author(s):  
Marcielli Scremin ◽  
Pâmela Rodrigues Almeida ◽  
Kayla Araújo Ximenes Aguiar Palma ◽  
Priscilla De Oliveira Reis Alencastro

Nos últimos tempos, vem acontecendo mudanças significativas no estilo de vida dos indivíduos, que refletem no processo de envelhecimento, trabalho, cotidiano e na aposentadoria. O processo de envelhecimento é multifatorial e acontece com todos os indivíduos e variam de acordo com os hábitos de vida de cada ser humano. O objetivo principal da pesquisa foi analisar os impactos da aposentadoria no cotidiano do servidor público federal. Desse modo, utilizou-se a abordagem qualitativa, sendo utilizado o questionário BOAS e uma entrevista semiestruturada. A partir desses instrumentos, realizou-se a análise e identificação de questões da aposentadoria que podem influenciar na ruptura do cotidiano. Sendo assim, foram identificadas três categorias pertinentes à pesquisa, são elas: planejamento da aposentadoria, impacto no cotidiano e ressignificação do cotidiano. A velhice vem cercada de mudanças e uma delas é a aposentadoria. Para podermos falar de aposentadoria é preciso que entendamos qual o significado do trabalho na vida dos indivíduos, que pode ser uma forma de pertencimento social e/ou fazer parte da construção da identidade social. O impacto no cotidiano em decorrência da ausência do trabalho acarretou em mudanças positivas e negativas, sendo importante salientar que o primeiro impacto percebido com a aposentadoria foi a ausência de uma rotina que antes era proporcionada pelo trabalho, cada indivíduo buscou alternativas a fim de se reestabelecer e se reconhecer em sua nova realidade que é a aposentadoria. Abstract  In recent times, there have been significant changes in the lifestyle of individuals, which reflect in the process of aging, work, daily life and retirement. The aging process is multifactorial and happens to all individuals, and they vary according to the life habits of each human being. The main objective of the research was to analyze the impacts of retirement on the daily routine of the federal public servant. Thus, the qualitative approach was used, using the BOAS questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. From these instruments, the analysis and identification of retirement issues was carried out, which can influence the rupture of daily life. Thus, three categories relevant to research were identified: retirement planning, impact on daily life and re-signification of daily life. Old age is surrounded by change and one of them is retirement. In order to talk about retirement, we need to understand the meaning of work in individuals' lives, which can be a form of social belonging and / or part of the construction of social identity. The impact on daily life due to absence of work led to positive and negative changes, and it is important to note that the first impact perceived with retirement was the absence of a routine that was previously provided by work, each individual sought alternatives in order to reestablish and to recognize in its new reality that it is retirement.  Keywords: Retirement; Aging; Work.


1982 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Chakraverty ◽  
P. Cunningham ◽  
M. S. Pereira

SUMMARYThe epidemiology in the United Kingdom of the influenza A H1N1 subtype which returned in 1977 after an absence of 20 years is described for the four winter seasons from 1977/8 to 1980/1. The age distribution of virus isolates and the evidence for antigenic variation is presented. The impact in the susceptible age groups year by year is shown by the change in the population with specific antibody. There was the expected increase of antibody in those under the age of 21 but also evidence for a significant amount of infection or re-infection in the older adult population.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia J Kirtley ◽  
Robin Achterhof ◽  
Noëmi Hagemann ◽  
Karlijn Susanna Francisca Maria Hermans ◽  
Anu Pauliina Hiekkaranta ◽  
...  

Background: Over half of all mental health conditions have their onset in adolescence. Large-scale epidemiological studies have identified relevant environmental risk factors for mental health problems. Yet, few have focused on potential mediating inter- and intrapersonal processes in daily life, hampering intervention development. Objectives: To investigate 1) the impact of environmental risk factors on changes in inter- and intrapersonal processes; 2) the impact of altered inter- and intrapersonal processes on the development of (sub)clinical mental health symptoms in adolescents and; 3) the extent to which changes in inter- and intrapersonal processes mediate the association between environmental risk factors and the mental health outcomes in adolescents.Methods: ‘SIGMA’ is an accelerated longitudinal study of adolescents aged 12 to 18 from across Flanders, Belgium. Using self-report questionnaires, experience sampling, an experimental task, and wearables, we are investigating the relationship between environmental risk factors (e.g. trauma, parenting), inter- and intrapersonal processes (e.g. real-life social interaction and interpersonal functioning) and mental health outcomes (e.g. psychopathology, self-harm) over time. Results: N= 1913 adolescents (63% female) aged 11 – 20, from 22 schools, participated. The range of educational trajectories within the sample was broadly representative of the Flemish general adolescent population.Conclusions: Our findings will enable us to answer fundamental questions about inter- and intrapersonal processes involved in the development and maintenance of poor mental health in adolescence. This includes insights regarding the role of daily-life social and cognitive-affective processes, gained by using experience sampling. The accelerated longitudinal design enables rapid insights into developmental and cohort effects.


Author(s):  
Antonio Fontes Lima ◽  
Filipa Carvalho Moreira ◽  
Isabel Esteves Costa ◽  
Catia Azevedo ◽  
Fernando Mar ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Tinnitus is experienced by a significant part of the patients suffering from otosclerosis. Objective To assess the prevalence of tinnitus in otosclerosis, its main features, and the impact on the daily life. Methods Patients diagnosed with otosclerosis in 2019 in a tertiary hospital were enrolled in the study. Demographic data were retrieved and, besides a regular audiometric evaluation, the patients underwent acuphenometry to assess the psychoacoustic measurements (pitch and loudness), and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Results In total, 66 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with a female predominance (63.6%; n = 42), and a mean age of 48.7 years. The mean air-bone gap was of 26.3 dB. A total of 72.7% complained of tinnitus; it was mostly unilateral, identified in the low frequencies, namely 500 Hz, with median loudness of 7.5 dB. The median score on the THI score was of 37; most patients had a mild handicap (33.3%, n = 16), followed by those with a severe handicap (22.9%; n = 11). The female gender had a statistically significant association with the presence of tinnitus. The THI scores were higher in middle-aged patients (age groups: 40 to 49 and 50 to 59 years), which was statistically significant. No correlation was found between audiometry results and the prevalence of tinnitus or score on the THI. On the other hand, high-pitched tinnitus, compared to low pitched-tinnitus, was associated with larger air-bone gaps. Conclusion The prevalence of tinnitus in our population was in line with the prevalences reported in the literature. It caused a catastrophic handicap in 22.9% of the patients. High-pitched tinnitus was associated with higher handicap. Nonetheless, the existence of tinnitus and its severity were not associated with the degree of hearing loss.


2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. M. Mensink ◽  
R. Fletcher ◽  
M. Gurinovic ◽  
I. Huybrechts ◽  
L. Lafay ◽  
...  

Achieving an understanding of the extent of micronutrient adequacy across Europe is a major challenge. The main objective of the present study was to collect and evaluate the prevalence of low micronutrient intakes of different European countries by comparing recent nationally representative dietary survey data from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. Dietary intake information was evaluated for intakes of Ca, Cu, I, Fe, Mg, K, Se, Zn and the vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E and folate. The mean and 5th percentile of the intake distributions were estimated for these countries, for a number of defined sex and age groups. The percentages of those with intakes below the lower reference nutrient intake and the estimated average requirement were calculated. Reference intakes were derived from the UK and Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. The impact of dietary supplement intake as well as inclusion of apparently low energy reporters on the estimates was evaluated. Except for vitamin D, the present study suggests that the current intakes of vitamins from foods lead to low risk of low intakes in all age and sex groups. For current minerals, the study suggests that the risk of low intakes is likely to appear more often in specific age groups. In spite of the limitations of the data, the present study provides valuable new information about micronutrient intakes across Europe and the likelihood of inadequacy country by country.


2008 ◽  
Vol 197 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin C J Maiden ◽  
Ana Belén Ibarz-Pavón ◽  
Rachel Urwin ◽  
Stephen J Gray ◽  
Nicholas J Andrews ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground. In 1999, meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MCC) vaccines were introduced in the United Kingdom for those under 19 years of age. The impact of this intervention on asymptomatic carriage of meningococci was investigated to establish whether serogroup replacement or protection by herd immunity occurred.Methods. Multicenter surveys of carriage were conducted during vaccine introduction and on 2 successive years, resulting in a total of 48,309 samples, from which 8599 meningococci were isolated and characterized by genotyping and phenotyping.Results. A reduction in serogroup C carriage (rate ratio, 0.19) was observed that lasted at least 2 years with no evidence of serogroup replacement. Vaccine efficacy against carriage was 75%, and vaccination had a disproportionate impact on the carriage of sequence type (ST)-11 complex serogroup C meningococci that (rate ratio, 0.06); these meningococci also exhibited high rates of capsule expression.Conclusions. The impact of vaccination with MCC vaccine on the prevalence of carriage of group C meningococci was consistent with herd immunity. The high impact on the carriage of ST-11 complex serogroup C could be attributed to high levels of capsule expression. High vaccine efficacy against disease in young children, who were not protected long-term by the schedule initially used, is attributed to the high vaccine efficacy against carriage in older age groups.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delali Konu ◽  
Brontë Mckeown ◽  
Adam Turnbull ◽  
Nerissa Siu Ping Ho ◽  
Tamara Vanderwal ◽  
...  

AbstractPrevious research suggests that patterns of ongoing thought are heterogeneous, varying across situations and individuals. The current study investigated the influence of a wide range of tasks and individual affective style on ongoing patterns of thought. In total, we used 9 different tasks and measured ongoing thought using multidimensional experience sampling. A Principle Component Analysis of the experience sampling data revealed four patterns of ongoing thought. Linear Mixed Modelling was used to examine the contextual distribution of the thought patterns. Different thought patterns were found to relate to different types of conditions. Intrusive and negative thought pattern expression was found to be influenced by individual affective style (depression level). Overall, these data show that patterns of thought are subject to both contextual and intrinsic variation, suggesting that understanding these important features of experience across a broad range of situations will be useful in understanding their role in human experience.HighlightsPatterns of thought vary across different task contextsThought pattern expression is influenced by individual affective styleThere is a need to broaden the tasks used to study ongoing thought


2007 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 800-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McVERNON ◽  
M. E. RAMSAY ◽  
A. R. McLEAN

SUMMARYA rise in invasiveHaemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib) infections occurred 8 years after vaccine introduction in the United Kingdom. Aspects of Hib vaccine delivery unique to the United Kingdom have been implicated. The authors developed a fully age-structured deterministic susceptible–infected–resistant–susceptible mathematical model, expressed as a set of partial differential equations, to better understand the causes of declining vaccine effectiveness. We also investigated the consequences of the vaccine's impact on reducing Hib transmission for maintenance of immunity. Our findings emphasized the importance of maintaining high post-immunization antibody titres among age groups at greatest risk of invasive infections. In keeping with UK population-based estimates, low direct efficacy of immunological memory against disease was found, cautioning against over-reliance on evidence of priming alone as a correlate of population protection. The contribution of herd immunity to disease control was reinforced. Possible intervention strategies will be explored in subsequent work.


2003 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexy ◽  
Kersting ◽  
Sichert-Hellert

Intake of vitamins A, C, and E was evaluated and age and time trends were assessed on the basis of 3-day weighed dietary records (n = 5121) of 2- to 18-year old boys (n = 417) and girls (n = 425) enrolled in the DONALD Study (Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed Study) 1986–2001. Intake of vitamin A remains stable over time, intake of vitamin C increases linearly, and intake of vitamin E follows a nonlinear trend. Age trends of vitamins A and C (per MJ) were nonlinear with a minimum at the beginning adolescence, while intake of vitamin E (per MJ) increased linearly. Girls had higher nutrient densities but lower intakes expressed as percent of reference values. Fortified food in total had a higher impact on time trends of nutrient intake than other single food groups defined here. Our results point to the impact of the food industry on long-term nutrient intake, but also underline the necessity of nutrition education even in young age groups to improve vitamin intake.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aire Mill ◽  
Anu Realo ◽  
Jüri Allik

Abstract. Intraindividual variability, along with the more frequently studied between-person variability, has been argued to be one of the basic building blocks of emotional experience. The aim of the current study is to examine whether intraindividual variability in affect predicts tiredness in daily life. Intraindividual variability in affect was studied with the experience sampling method in a group of 110 participants (aged between 19 and 84 years) during 14 consecutive days on seven randomly determined occasions per day. The results suggest that affect variability is a stable construct over time and situations. Our findings also demonstrate that intraindividual variability in affect has a unique role in predicting increased levels of tiredness at the momentary level as well at the level of individuals.


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